Shuttle changing loom



Dec. 29, 1936. R 5 TURNER 2,065,771

SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed Jan. 51, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor n Richarql GTur-ner Dec- SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Filed Jan. 31, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 "z i ,g 1

uo 5 Egg :7 1 EWgWE "mug 103 am sou Inventor Richard B. Turner uttornexys Dec. 29, 1936, TURNER I 2,065,771

' SHUTTLE QHANGING LOOM Filed Jan. 51, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet s nven\30r Ric. ar G. Turner r6 rneys Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STAT SHUTTLE CHANGING LOOM Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,

Mass a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 31, 1935, Serial No. 4,373

14 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shuttle changing looms and it is the general object of the invention to simplify the controls for the shuttle changing features at the magazine end of the loom.

Heretofore, I have proposed a multicolor shuttle changing loom having shifting shuttle boxes at one end and groups of reserve shuttles at the other end, together with control means for coordinating the delivery of the shuttles from the magazine with the shifting movements of the shuttle boxes. The shuttle changing features include boxes normally at rest with respect to the lay but called into action on a replenishing beat so that one cell of a set of shifting boxes will be placed to receive a reserve shuttle from a magazine.

In that loom I used the usual form of mechanism for the boxes at the end opposite the magazine, but employed a special form of box motion at the magazine end, including a regularly moving actuator lever and the box lifter lever to be coupled to the other lever on changing beats. Looms of the type to which my invention more particularly relates will customarily have a form of box motion for the shifting shuttle box endof the loom and it is an important object of my present invention to use this same box motion to control the, boxes at the magazine end of the loom so that I am enabled to eliminate the aforesaid actuator and lifter levers. More specifically, I employ the actuator cylinders of the so-called Knowles head for operating an auxiliary vibrator connected to the shuttle changing boxes at the magazine end of the loom.

I have also proposed a, shuttle changing loom having two shifting shuttle boxes at each end to cooperate with three shuttles carrying the same kind of weft which are active in rotation to mix filling. In such a loom each shuttle lays but one pick at a time and remains idle for two picks and a complete sequence of shuttle box movements requires twelve picks of the loom. In the shuttle changing mechanism I employ an extra shuttle box which is normally idle with respect to the three weaving shuttles but is raised level with the race to receive the depleted shuttle as it arrives at the shuttle changing end of the loom. The magazine in that instance supplies reserve shuttles all having weft of the same kind.

In shuttle changing looms of the kind to which the invention more particularly relates there are two separate movements which should be coordinated, namely, the magazine must release a reserve shuttle preparatory to a shuttle change,

and the shuttle boxes must shift to receive the released reserve shuttle. It is a further object of my present invention to provide a control, preferably from the Knowles head, such that the magazine and shuttle boxes are actuated from the same member to the end that their operations will always be coordinated. When this is not done there is the opportunity that either the magazine or the boxes will fail to operate and an incompletely transferred shuttle remains in the loom to be damaged or cause damage.

When three shuttles Weave pick and pick in a loom having two shifting boxes at each end thereof any selected shuttle will enter a particular shuttle box every twelfth pick and since there are three weaving shuttles any particular box will receive a shuttle every fourth pick of the loom. The operation of the shuttle changing mechanism must be in accordance with this condition but many Knowles looms have pattern cylinders which make a complete revolution every six picks of the loom and in order to permit the use of my shuttle changer with a Knowles head of this type I preferably provide a cam having a working stroke every second pick and this cam therefore can give indications at four-pick intervals. The intervening working strokes between the times when an indication can be used are idle and cannot give an indication to set the loom. 7

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly in section taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detailed vertical section on line 33, Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the relation of the pattern chain and shuttle sequence, together with the times of weft exhaustion indication and shuttle changing shift of boxes under the magazine.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a loom frame Ill having arches ll which support a Knowles head motion K. The lay L is supported on swords I2 movable about a rocker shaft i3 having rocker irons I4.

At the head end of the loom the lay is provided with upper and lower shifting shuttle boxes I5 and I6, respectively, which move in appropriate guides and are positioned by a box lifter rod I! attached to a lifting chain 8. The latter is trained over sheaves IS on the lay and extends down and around and behind a sheave 28 rotatable on the loom frame. The chain then extends upwardly over a sheave 2| and around what in the present instance may be a stationary sheave 22. The chain is then attached to a box lifter lever 23 attached to a connector 24.

The Knowles head comprises upper and lower actuator cylinder gears 25 and 26, respectively, between which lies a vibrator gear 21 for the connector 24 and on a vibrator lever 28. The lever moves pivotally about a heel pin 29 supported by the head frame and extends over a pattern cylinder 30. The latter is on a shaft 3| which is given one-sixth of a turn each pick of the loom and the cylinder presents one bar of chain elements 32 under the vibrator lever for each pick of the loom.

The pattern chain will be built to have two adjacent low rolls or sinkers 33 followed by two high rolls or balls 34 and the control is such that the vibrator lever 28 will be up for two picks and then down for two picks the effect of which is to hold shuttle box l5 opposite the race for two successive picks and then to move the shuttle box It to active position opposite the race for the following two picks. This mode of control for the shuttle boxes l5 and I6 is common and of itself forms no part of my present invention.

The shuttle boxes at the other end of the loom are constructed to accommodate two weaving shuttles and include top and intermediate boxes 35 and 36, respectively, which are supported on a box rod 31 connected to a second chain 38. The latter curves around a lay carried sheave 39 and extends across the loom to be trained around sheaves 40, 4| and 42, respectively. The chain then extends around a movable sheave 43 and has its left end anchored as at 44 to a second box positioning lever 45. The movable sheave 43 is pivoted to the bottom of control lever 46 which in turn is pivoted as at 41 to the frame of the head motion. The upper end of lever 45 is attached by means of a connector 48 to a vibrator gear 49 carried by a second vibrator lever 50. This second vibrator lever is positioned by a second set of chain elements comprising sinkers 5| and balls 52 arranged so that a pair of sinkers follows and is followed by a pair of balls 52. It should be noted, as indicated in Fig. 4, that the chain elements for the two vibrators are so related that each vibrator is up for two successive picks and then down for two successive picks, but one vibrator has its shifting motion from high to low position and vice versa while the other vibrator is in a dwell position, either up or down. In the matter thus far described the operation of the Knowles head will shift the shuttle boxes so that three weaving shuttles may be picked by mechanism not shown but well understood in sequence, one shuttle to be active for but one pick only at a time, according to a well-known method of weaving.

The shuttle changer mechanism located at the end of the loom opposite the head may comprise a magazine M which in the present instance has a single stack of reserve shuttles all carrying weft of the same kind and has front and back guide plates 60 and 6| between which the reserve shuttles R. move downwardly toward transfer position. The magazine is located in rear position and effects shuttle change when the lay is on back center. A bottom support 92 extends under the lowermost reserve shuttle and is hung from a shaft 63 pivoted to the back plate 6|. An arm 64 secured to the shaft 63 has connection with a chain or other flexible cable 65 extending around a sheave 65 on the loom arch. This cable extends across the loom and is attached as at 67 to the lever 48. Rocking movement of the arm 64 under influence of the chain or cable 65 will move the support 62 from under the lowermost shuttle so that the same can fall downwardly toward the shuttle box 35 when the latter is in position to receive it. Appropriate mechanism not shown in detail herein may be employed for supporting the superposed reserve shuttles when the bottom shuttle is released. It is thought suificient for the purposes of the present description to state that when cable 65 is pulled by lever 46 a shuttle will be released by the magazine.

In addition to the cells 35 and 36 the shifting boxes at the magazine end of the loom include a third or bottom auxiliary shuttle box 10 movable with the other boxes but normally unoccupied, since the control exercised by box lifter lever 45 places either box 35 or 36 in active position but cannot lift box it to active position. In this connection it should be remembered that sheave 43 is normally stationary and lever 46 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 at all times except on shuttle changing beats of the loom.

In order to place box 10 in active or shuttle receiving position opposite the lay I employ control mechanism for the lever 46. This mechanism may include a relatively long connector 15 attached pivotally to the upper end of lever 46 and pivoted to a vibrator gear 16 carried by a vibrator lever 71. This lever, shown more particularly in Fig. 3, is not indicated or raised and lowered in the usual manner, that is by a pattern chain, but is controlled through a lifting pawl '58 pivoted as at 19 to the upper end of an upright 89 on the vibrator lever 11.

A lifter arm 8| moves pivotally about an axis 82 carried by the head frame and is rigid with an arm 83 carrying a roll 84. A cam 85 rotates with shaft 3| and has three equally spaced high dwells 86 which are separated by equally spaced low dwells B1. The dwells each represent approximately one pick of the loom and as the cam rotates the lifter arm 8| is raised on one pick, low- .ered on the next, raised on the third, lowered on the fourth etc., so that on every alternate beat of the loom the lifter arm 8| rises.

The pawl 18 is controlled as to its position by the condition of weft in the shuttle which is boxed in upper cell |5 at the head. end of the loom. An electrical weft detector 98 having two insulated electrodes 9| and 92, respectively, is connected to a solenoid 93 mounted on a bracket 94 extending upwardly from the head frame. By appropriate wires shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 the feeler and a source of electric current P are placed in a circuit with the solenoid whenever the prongs 9| and 92 are connected electrically. This latter condition exists whenever a shuttle in box I5 is depleted of weft and the box is raised so that a metallic ferrule or the like not shown but well understood will connect the electrodes. Under these conditions the core 96 of the solenoid will be drawn upwardly to elevate a link 91 which passes through an arm 98 of the pawl 18. Upper and lower compression springs 99 and I00 respectively are between the arm 98 and collars on the link and permit raising, of the core of the solenoid should the lifter arm 8 I. temporarily obstruct movement of the pawl 78.

The operation of the loom will be described in connection with Fig. wherein there are set forth the various relations between the pattern chain, shuttle boxes, and shuttles. The horizontal dotted lines representing the shuttle race on the lay connect items which correspond to any selected beat of the loom, while the vertical rows represent the successive conditions throughout a repeat of twelve beats reading from the top down.

The chain for the boxes at the head end will have pairs of low rolls 28L alternated with high rolls 28H, the low rolls controlling beats IEII and.

I02, I05. and I06, I09 and III], etc. The chain for the shuttle boxes at the shuttle changing end of the loom which control the normal box shiftings comprise pairs of high rolls 50H alternated with pairs of low rolls 50L, the low rolls in this instance being in control on beats I04 and I05, I08 and I09, H2 and H3, as well as beat IOI. It will be seen therefore that the pattern chain is built with the pairs of rolls staggered by a space of one beat of the loom.

The boxes at the head end shown in the left column of Fig. 5 have two positions, down with box I5 active when the low rolls 28L are in control and raised with lower box I8 active when high rolls 28H are in control. The shuttle boxes at the opposite end of the loom shown in the right hand column of Fig. 5 can assume three different positions with respect to the lay, but they will ordinarily have only two normal positions with either of boxes 35 or 36 active and box I0 below the shuttle race.

The column headed Weaving shuttles suggests that threeshuttles are active in succession, each for but one pick at a time, and this column suggests also the directions in which the shuttles move. It will be seen that each shuttle is active every third pick and that it takes four repetitions of three successive flights to complete the repeat, that is, the parts move from the relation shown in position IOI to that shown in position H3 in order to complete a shuttle sequence or cycle.

When the shuttle box I5 rises on the head end of the loom the detector 90 will feel for the condition of weft therein. This corresponds to the condition represented by position I 03 with respect to shuttle III, position I0? with respect to shuttle I, and position I II with respect to shuttle II.

The column headed Shuttle changing indication has items 01L corresponding to the low dwells 81 on cam 85, and high positions 36H corresponding to the high dwells 86 on said cam. Certain of the rising motions of the actuator or lifter arm BI are idle and these are indicated in dotted lines in the last named column. It is to be understood that the boxes at the head or left end start to rise from position I02 to I03 when the lay is approximately at bottom center and they continue to move up until the lay reaches top center, but it is not until the latter position is reached that the circuit can be closed through the detector. The cam 85 is set, however, so that the high position 86H is reached before the detector can act through the solenoid to swing the latch or pawl I8 over the arm 8|. The latter therefore is too high to have a working relation with the pawl when box I5 reaches its high p9- sition and spring I00 is compressed temporarily. It is for this reason, that every other up motion of arm 8| is necessarily idle. Upon the downward movement of arm 8| corresponding to the beat of the lay following detection, that is position I04, spring I00 will move the pawl over the actuator so that when the latter again rises it will lift the vibrator which corresponds to the column headed Shuttle changing indication. This relation starts with and follows the detecting beats of the loom shown in positions I03, I01 and I I I.

Assuming that an indication of exhaustion is given with respect to shuttle III in position I01 when box I5 is up with shuttle III therein the parts will operate to cause said shuttle III to move toward the magazine end two beats after indication of exhaustion, corresponding to position I09, by a down motion of box I5 which occurs on the same front center of the lay on which lever 46 is rocked to move shuttle box I0 into active position to receive the depleted shuttle III.

On the next beat of the loom there will be a shift of the pattern chain for the magazine end from a low roll 50L to a high roll 50H to produce a one box lift of boxes 35, 36 and 10. This will occur, however, at the same time that 'a high dwell 86 relinquishes control of lever 46 to permit the return of sheave 43 to normal position corresponding to a two-box drop. The net effect of these controls is to lower the boxes at the magazine end so that shuttle box or cell 36 is in picking position for the delivery of shuttle I which entered it when the parts were in position I 01.

When the box 35 is as shown in position I09 it receives a reserve shuttle from the magazine and when box I0 later reaches its low position shown in position H2 the depleted shuttle III is below a stationary binder I on the lay and is ejected forwardly. It is apparent from the foregoing description that the normal sequence of box shiftings at the magazine end of the loom is interrupted on the shuttle changing beat in such a way that the outgoing exhausted shuttle is picked into an auxiliary normally idle shuttle box I0 and the top box or cell 35 which ordinarily would have received the shuttle has inserted therein a fresh reserve shuttle drawn from the magazine.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of control mechanism for the shuttle boxes and magazine at the re plenishing end of the loom, this mechanism comprising essentially parts similar to those already employed in the so-called Knowles head and having more particularly a vibrator lever and vibrator gear together with a connector which operates in a manner very similar to that found in the ordinary Knowles loom. It will also be seen that the magazine release and the abnormal up movement of the shuttle boxes occur at the same time and through the intermediary of the same moving part, that is, control lever 46. Furthermore, by having a cam 85 designed as set forth more particularly in Fig. 3, I am able to give the lifting arm 8| a rising or working stroke on alternate beats of the loom when an indication from a depleted shuttle in raised box 5i occurs. The upper and lower cylinders and 26 which actuate the boxes in their regular shifting movement are also employed to give the boxes at the magazine end their abnormal motion on shuttle changing beats of the loom. Also, the control for the boxes under the magazine is such as not to interfere with the normal shifts which they ordinarily have to accommodate the shuttle sequence. While the invention has been set forth in connection with a single color magazine supplying weft of the same kind for the purpose of mixing filling, yet certain features of the invention are not necessarily limited to this kind of magazine.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a shuttle changing loom, a shuttle magazine to supply reserve shuttles, release mechanism to release a reserve shuttle from the magazine, a set of shifting shuttle boxes under the magazine, a vibrator lever, a vibrator gear for the lever, and operative connections between the vibrator gear and the boxes and also the release mechanism to place one of the shuttle boxes in position to receive a reserve shuttle from the magazine when the release mechanism operates.

2. In a shuttle changing loom, a vibrator lever, a vibrator gear carried thereby, a control lever to be oscillated, a connector between the vibrator gear and the lever to give the latter two positions, a magazine for reserve shuttles, shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, a connection from the control lever to the release mechanism to move the latter to efiect release of a reserve shuttle, and shifting shuttle boxes under the magazine operatively connected to the control lever and positioned thereby to receive a reserve shuttle released by the magazine.

3. In a shuttle changing loom operating with a plurality of weaving shuttles, a plurality of shuttle boxes at one end of the loom to cooperate with the weaving shuttles, a vibrator lever and vibrator gear operatively connected to the shuttle boxes to give the latter normal shifting movements, a magazine for reserve shuttles, shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, and a second vibrator gear and vibrator lever operatively connected to the release mechanism and also the shuttle boxes to give the latter an abnormal motion to relate the same operatively to the magazine, the second vibrator lever efiective to cause release of a reserve shuttle from the magazine when the shuttle boxes are in abnormal position.

4. In a shuttle changing loom operating with a plurality of weaving shuttles, shifting shuttle boxes at one end of the loom, a magazine for reserve shuttles at the shifting shuttle box end of the loom, shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, a box shifting lever, a vibrator gear and vibrator lever operatively connected to the box shifting lever, a sheave carried by the box shifting lever, a second vibrator lever and vibrator gear, connections between the second vibrator gear and the shifting boxes passing around the sheave and operative to give the shuttle boxes regular normal shifting movements to cooperate with the weaving shuttles while the box shifting lever is stationary, the first named vibrator lever and vibrator gear operative on shuttle changing beats of the loom to move the box shifting lever to cause an abnormal movement of said connections to position one of the shifting boxes in shuttle receiving position relatively to the magazine, said box shifting lever also operatively connected to the release mechanism and effective to release a shuttle from the magazine.

5. In a shuttle changing loom having a pair of shifting shuttle boxes at each end thereof, a vibrator lever and. vibrator gear to give the boxes at one end a normal shifting movement on even numbered beats of the loom, a second vibrator lever and vibrator gear to give the shuttle boxes at the other end of the loom normal shifting movements on odd numbered beats of the loom, the shuttle boxes thereby shifting each beat of the loom to render a different shuttle active each beat, a magazine holding reserve shuttles at the end of the adjacent boxes which shift on even beats of the loom, shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, a third vibrator lever and gear, and connections between the third vibrator gear and the boxes on the magazine end capable, on odd numbered beats of the loom when a shuttle change is to occur of giving the shuttle boxes at the magazine end of the loom an abnormal motion to receive a shuttle released by the release mechanism, said last named vibrator lever and gear also operatively connected to the release mechanism and effective to release a reserve shuttle from the magazine.

6. In a shuttle changing loom, a magazine of reserve shuttles, shuttle releasing means for the magazine, shiftable shuttle boxes under the mag azine, a vibrator lever and gear, and connections between the gear and the releasing means and also the shifting boxes to release a shuttle from the magazine and at the same time cause movement of one of the boxes toward the magazine to receive a released shuttle.

7. In a shuttle changing loom, a magazine having reserve shuttles, shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, shifting shuttle boxes having normal regularly recurring shifting movements to render the boxes active one at a time, a regularly moving actuator, a vibrator lever and gear, operative connections between the gear and the release mechanism and also between the gear and the boxes to give the latter an abnormal movement to place one of the shuttle boxes in position to receive a reserve shuttle released from the magazine, and weft controlled means to operatively connect the actuator and vibrator lever upon substantial exhaustion of weft in a shuttle to render the gear operative to actuate the release mechanism and also give the shuttle boxes said abnormal motion.

8. In a shuttle changing loom, a magazine having reserve shuttles, reserve shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, shifting shuttle boxes having normal regularly recurring shifting movements to render the several boxes active, an actuator having working strokes on every alternate beat of the loom, a vibrator lever and gear operatively connected to the shuttle boxes and effective to give the latter an abnormal movement to place one of the shuttle boxes in position to receive a reserve shuttle released by the release mechanism of the magazine, and Weft controlled means to operatively connect the actuator and vibrator lever.

9. In a shuttle changing loom, a vibrator lever and gear, a reserve shuttle magazine, shuttle release mechanism for the magazine actuated by the gear, shifting shuttle boxes operatively connected to the vibrator gear and movable by the latter to move one of the shuttle boxes to reserve shuttle receiving position when the gear actuates the release mechanism to deliver a reserve shuttle from the magazine, an electric weft de- 75 tector, and actuator means controlled electromagnetically by the detector to effect operation of the vibrator lever and gear to give the shuttle boxes said abnormal movements and the release mechanism a shuttle delivering motion.

10. In a shuttle changing loom operating with three weaving shuttles and having two weaving shifting shuttle boxes at each end of the loom, a magazine for reserve shuttles at one end of the loom, a vibrator gear and vibrator lever operatively connected to the shifting boxes at the magazine end of the loom to give said boxes normal shifting movements to accommodate the weaving shuttles, shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, a second vibrator lever and vibrator gear operatively connected to the release mechanism and effective to cause release of a reserve shuttle from the magazine, and connections between said second vibrator and gear and the shuttle boxes at the magazine end of the loom to give said last named shuttle boxes an abnormal position to place one of said shuttle boxes in position to receive the released reserve shuttle.

11. In a shuttle changing loom operating with three shuttles operative in rotation and each shuttle active for but one pick at a time, a pair of shifting shuttle boxes at each end of the loom, a magazine for reserve shuttles at one end of the loom, a vibrator gear and vibrator lever to give normal shifting movements to the boxes at the magazine end of the loom every second beat of the loom, shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, a second vibrator and vibrator gear operatively connected to the release mechanism and effective to cause release of a reserve shuttle from the magazine, and connections between said second vibrator and gear and the shifting boxes at the magazine end of the loom to give said last named shuttle boxes an abnormal shifting movement to place one of the boxes in position to receive the released shuttle.

12. In a shuttle changing loom operating with three weaving shuttles and having a pair of shuttle boxes at each end thereof, a vibrator V lever and vibrator gear to give the boxes at one end a normal shifting movement on even numbered beats of the loom, a second vibrator lever and vibrator gear to give the shuttle boxes at the other end of the loom normal shifting movements on odd. numbered beats of the loom, the shuttle boxes thereby shifting each beat of the loom to render a different shuttle active each beat, a magazine holding reserve shuttles at the end of the loom adjacent the boxes which shift on even beats of the loom, reserve shuttle releasing mechanism for the magazine, a third vibrator lever and gear, and connections between the third vibrator gear and the shuttle boxes which shift on even beats of the loom, said third vibrator and gear capable on an odd numbered beat of the loom when a shuttle change is to occur of giving the shuttle boxes at the magazine end of the loom an abnormal motion to receive a shuttle released by the shuttle releasing mechanism of the magazine.

13. In a shuttle changing loom having a lay and a pair of shifting shuttle boxes at one end thereof, a vibrator lever and vibrator gear to move the boxes at said end of the loom on alternate beats of the loom, said shuttle boxes normally at rest relatively to the lay on intermediate beats of the loom, a reserve shuttle magazine,

' reserve shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, and a second vibrator lever and gear to move the shuttle boxes having their normal movement on alternate beats of the loom toward the magazine on an intermediate beat to receive a reserve shuttle released by the release mechanism of the magazine.

14. In a loom operating with three shuttles, two shifting shuttle boxes at each end of the loom, means to shift the shuttle boxes in a predetermined sequence to cause the shuttles to be active in rotation and each for but one pick at a time, the means shifting the boxes at one end.

on a beat when the boxes at the other end are at rest, a vibrator lever and vibrator gear, a reserve shuttle magazine, reserve shuttle release mechanism for the magazine, and connections between the Vibrator gear and the shifting shuttle boxes at the magazine end of the loom to interrupt the normal sequence of box movements at the magazine end of the loom and move one of the shuttle boxes to a position to receive a reserve shuttle released by the release mechanism of the magazine.

RICHARD G. TURNER. 

